Anticreeper



April 1o, 192s. 1,665,696

ANTICREEPER IELQJ.-

Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTICREEPER.

Application led August 28, 1925. lSerial No. 53,062.

My invention relates to devices for preventing the longitudinal creeping movement of railroad rails. Such devices are connnonly known as anticrecpers, rail anchors, rail stays or creepchecks.

It has for its principal object the provision of an anticreeper comprising a body portion and two arms so arranged at the opposite ends thereof that when the device is applied with the arms in operative engagement with the opposite sides of the rail with the body below and out of contact with the bottom of the rail base and the device substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rail, the device will be tightened on the rail when the anticreeper is tilted or inclined from the perpendicular.

By my construction I am enabled to provide an anticreeper comprising nothing beyond a bar, provided with a single arm at each end, which arms may be applied in gripping position on the rail, with one end of the bar, in the operative position of the device, engaging the under side of the rail head and the other end of the bar engaging the edge of the rail base. Preferably the device is applied with the body in contact with the tie or other fixed abutment. Following this initial applicaton of the anti- Creeper, pressure exerted upon the body tending to tilt or incline it from the perpendicular automatically tightens the anticreeper and increases its grip upon lthe rail.

YPreferably also this device is so constructed that when once applied to the rail it can never under service conditions become -so loosened as to drop from the rail and il properly proportioned for the particular rail to which it is applied, will at all times have a resilient grip on the rail, which resilient grip is progressively tightened by the forces which tend to cause creeping of the rail.

A further object of my invention is to provide an anticreeper of the bar type, which is fashioned out of a rolled bar and so constructed that the body of the anti- Creeper may be given any desirable section as width and thickness to successfully resist forces tending to cause breakage and one of the arms may be given such dimensions as to width and thickness as will both successfully resist forces tending to cause breakage and provide maximum resistance to creepage of the rail with minimum weight of the ant-icreeper. l

It is thus the general purpose of my invention to provide a. device characterized by simplicity of structure, readiness of application, strength, efficiency, economy of manufact-ure, durability, and economy of material and having various other advantages as arehereafter pointed out.

In the more specific embodiment of my invention it is one of my objects to provide an anticreeper comprising an arm at each end so arranged with reference to each other and to the body ofthe anticreeper that as the anticreeper after application is tilted 0r inclined from the perpendicular position of the rail, one arm will be operativell i tightened on the under side of the head and the upper side of the base of the rail.

It is another` object of my invention to provide a construction provided with an arm which-may be wedged in between the under surface of the head and the inclined upper surface of the base of the rail at one side of the rail.

Another object of my inventionv is to provide an anticreeper which maybe applied to the rail without the use of special tools or implements other than those usually em'- ployed by track hands.

It is also among the objects of my invent-ion to improve devices of this character in sundry details hereinafter pointed out.

The preferred means by which I accomplish my several objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an clevationwith the rail in section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation with the cross tie in section.

Figure 3 is an elevation With the rail in section illustrating the preliminary positioning of the device on the rail.

Figure 4t is an elevation with the rail in section showing the anticreeper in preliminary position on the rail.

In this embodiment of my invention the device is formed in one piece from a rolled bar of such dimensions as to provide sufficient strength to withstand the stresses to which the body A will be subjected. The body A is provided at one end with an in-A wardly and upwardly projecting arm B and at the other end with a shorter upwardly and inwardly projecting arm C both formed integrally with the body A. The rail D is of the usual construction and has a head F and base E.

The arm B isV arranged to be wedged inv between thehead F and base E of the rail D at one side with the end surface G of the arin B pressed against and gripping the under inclined face of the rail head F and the surface H pressed against and gripping the upper' inclined surtaceot the base E. The armV C is constructed to engage and grip the edge of the base E,put the `body A of the anticreeper under tension and retain Ithe long'ei'iarin B in position wedged `in between the head F and` base E at the side of the, rail D opposite to that engaged by the arm y `The arms B and 'C are diinensioned and positioned in relation to thebody Afand to each other that when die anticreefper is in position on the vrail'the :arms B and C are farther apart than they are before application of the device to the rail.,

'Hic larms ,B and C are formed by bending the bartroin which the device is fashioned, anden fbendin'gfthe barto torni the arni B a loop I is formed of `sufch dimension-ias to provide suficientinternal `clearance to perinit the device to be preliininarily:positioned upon the rail with the bod-y Afbelow the baseE landthe;l arms B and'C extendingabove the base-,Eat opposite sides et therail D as shown liiilfigiire `4.

It Will .beinoted l hat in forming the loop I and the arm B the bar is so' bent as to pro-- vide the .surface H, which in tl'ieeoperative position fofu the, d'evfice on the irai-l engages thefupperinclinediace ofi the .base E .sonic distance/inkom its sedge and kas nearly as may conveniently bexdirectly below the engagenient otthefsurtacejG ot the 1 arinB with the undeiuitnclined tace fot the liead F. Before .bending the -bar `to shape it `may be iizrttenedatKandsthe Width ott that Iportionotthebar `increased with correspondipg reduction Iin theythicknesd vso that atteibeinding to form and `:positioning the dev-ice on the rail the length of the bearing ot the snnface H, `with :the 'upper` surface ot the base E, longitudinally oil' the rail will be greater thanit wonldbe it the bar were bent toshape Withoutftlattening. rThe bar may also be iiattened `at yLand .theuidth 4of this portion liiIcrased with corresponding Vnilcreasewin the length of rthe -lbearing @t `the surface G on the under inclined -i'ace `ot ythe head :F- 'longitudinally `otthe lrail. f v

The anticreeperisgapplied Ato, the rail -by inclining it "and Withwthe longer arn'i. B in inclined position :in ther-space between `the head Flandbase oft the rail passingrzthe bodyfunderneath the ,rail un'tilthe endo-fthe short alim C yWill aclea r vthe edge of ithe base Eiatfthefside of .the rail .-D Vopposite to the arinfB. The position ot-the 'auticreepcr when the` end, ot :the short arinis l about -to clear the iedge of thea-ail base is `illustrated in Figure 3. It Will sometimes b ejnecessary to apply orce yto bring thefantiereepei;to

the position Which will permit the short arin C` to clear the edge of the rail base, and when this is necessary one or more blows ot a hanini'enorrother suitable" implement will suiice. It' the vdevice is soproportioned to provide suitable and sufficient internal clearance in the loop I the anticreeper may be passed totheposition illustrated in Figure 4, with the arin C projecting above the base E at one side of the rail D and the end surface oit the long arin B just begifnningto engage `the inclined under surface of the head F at the other side Without the use of force.A The anticreepery niaythen be moved longitudinally otthe railv until the body A has one face con-tact with thc tic `When in the position illust-rated in Figure i with the long arin end surface CT. beginning to engagethe inclined lower sui-tace lot the rail head F and the arm Genga-ging the upper corner et the base E and one yraceot the body A in contact with the tie. O Athe device is `in preliminarypositioneA Force required to eii'ect the final positioning ,of the anticreeper on the rail. This ina-y bes-t be effected by driving the upper end oi the long -arnrB toward the rail Aby, blou's ot a hammer directed asindicated-bythe ai-rota' P and by driving theshort arm down by blows directed as indicated by thearfrou/M in Figure 4. When -the inner corner ot the ariin -Chas fthus been` forced down by fthej upper corner of the base E enclin-,to contact with the vertical `edge of thejbase ,the A'arin B lwill beA tightly wedged -in between the head F and base Fn The jrhead 1F Vwill then loe-pressed upon and-gripped by the surface Gr and thebaseE pressed uponand gripped by the surface H of :the arm-B .and the 'device locked in 4position bythe engageinent of the arm- C with the base Eat the other side of -therail Forcingthe .anticreeper to position in the manner des 'ribed spreads the arms C and Bapart and the-resiliency-oil theantiereeper causes it to exert continuous vpressure upon `thefrail.

The 'direction in which the `rail tends `to creep is indicated f.bythearrouin :Figure It vWill `readily be understood that with the device inthe iinal operative'position shown llU in `Figures l. and 2 vthe grip upon 4.the lie-ad j and upperl ysurface/ot'fthe Abaseotithe rail at one-side and l'upon the edge ot the base at theother sideotl the rail and the con-tacto't the body A Avit-hthe tief() Vwill prevent moveinent ofthe rail orvvardytliat is inthe direction oit the arijo-,W yinFigure Q. lf, hou'- ever, theinitial grip-ot the device on the rail be .not sufficienti-to veiq-ectually resist r.the forces exerted Ab y-the tendency-ofthe rail to cr ep slight .inoveinents'otthe rail forward will' cause the arinV B ltonssunie .a ytilted or-inclined f position z'froni ,the perpendicular as indicated by the dotted lines-in'rFiq'urev 2,Y because the .body A will be held by'its con- .tact with the tie O and the grip of the surface G of the arm B will cause it to be carried forward with the rail. This tilting' of the arm B will automatically increase the grip of the arm B on the head and base of the rail and thus automatically increase the resistance to further forward movement of the rail.

It will readily be seen the increasing the length of the surface G- in contact with the head F or increasing the length of the surface H in contact with the base E increases the increment in gripping force set up on slight forward or creeping movement of the rail and that therefore it is possible by my construction to make the body of the anticreeper of the minimum dimensions necessary for the needed strength and secure the desired grip nee led to hold the rail against creeping by so relating' the width and thickness of the portions K and L of the arm B as to secure the gripping action desired with slight forward movement of the rail.

The engagement of the surface of the arm B with the upper inclined face of the base E of the rail at some distance in from the edge of the base and as near as possible below the engagement of the surface G with the under surface of the head F causes the portion of the arm B which is wedged in between the head and base to be almost entirely under compression stress and makes the gripping action more effective.

To remove the device from the rail the arm C may be driven down by blows directed as indicated by the arrow N in Figure l. rlhe friction of the contact of the short arm C with the edge of the rail base E is snflicient to permit this to be done progressively and the resiliency of the body A will permit it to be defle :ted and assume in succession positions7 one of which is shown by the dotted lines in Figure l, until the lower corner of the base E is passed by the end of the arm C. rlhe anticreeper will then spring oli' the rail and resume the forni which it had when in its original unstressedx condition.

By my invention7 provide a 'very simple and strong' device which may be formed from a rolled bar with a minimum of operations requiring' a minimum of material and labor in manufacture, capable of being' easily and quickly applied to the rail and affording a. maximum of efficiency.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A one piece anticreeper consisting of bar having' a body portion adapted to cngage a tie but not the rail bottom and rail gripping arms formed on the ends of said bar, one of said arms being` so formed as to provide a rail head gripping' surface extending' forward of the forward face and back of the rear face of said body portion.

2. A. rail anchor comprising a bar adapted to be applied to a rail transversely thereof and provided with a relatively short arm adapted to engage the rail bate at one side of the rail and a r-elatiif'ely long arm having' its extremity reduced in thickness and increased. in width adapted to be forced in tween the head and base of the rail at the other side of the rail.

3. A device'for preventing'the creeping of rails comprising a bar bent to form a body portion a lapted to engage a tie but not the bottom of the rail base and end arms of unequal eng'th tho longer adapted to engage and grip both the head and base of the rail at one side with surfaces extending forii'ard of the forward :eine and back of 'the rear side of said body portion and the shorter adapted to engage and grip the rail y base at the other side of the rail.

4.. A one piece anticreeper comprising' a bar fashioned to provide a body adapted to be held out of contact with the bottom of the rail base and to engage a tie in opposition to the tendency of the rail to creep and terminal arms one of which has portions reduced in thickness and increased in width engaging and gripping the head and base of 'the rail at one side and the other of which engages and grips the rail base at the other .sido of the rail.

An anticreeper formed of a single bar of metal bent to form a body portion adapted to engage a crosstie but not the rail base, an arm at one end adapted to grip the edge of the rail base at one side of the rail and an arm at the other end thereof adapted to engage the upper surface of the rail base in spaced relation to the edge thereof and to engage and grip the under side of the rail head at the other side of the rail.

6. An anticreeper comprising a bar having' a body portion adapted to engage a tie but not the bottom of the rail base and rail gripping arms formed on the ends of said bar one of said arms being' formed to engage and grip the upper surface of the rail base in spaced relation to the edge thereof and to engage and grip the under surface of the rail head forwardly and rearwardly of the planes of the front and rear edges of said body portion.

7. A rail anchor comprising a bar fashioned with a body portion ada )ted to be held in spaced relation to the rail base and to engage a tie in opposition to the tendency of the rail to creep and end arms adapted to engage the rail base at one side and the rail head and base in spaced relation to the base edge at the other side of the rail one of said arms having' portions reduced in thickness and increased in width adjacent the rail base and the rail head.

8. A one piece anticreeper comprising a bar bent to provide a body portion adapted hoadat one sicie of the rail. and having tho rail heads engaging portion of `said bal' Ye] ongatod.

9. An anticreeper for i'ais comprising a Single bai' of metal fashioned orpiovide a body portion adapted to engage .a crosstio in oppoaition to fh@ tondoncyof the rail to cieep and to bcliod out oi Contact with the rail has@ an arm adapted "to grip `i110 odge of the rail bas-oai" mm sido and Yan ai'm hav- 15,i1ig a portionai'ciuoofi in ihicknes andin- Cloafge in width adapted to ongagjoli'houpper surface of thoiaiivbaso inYV spaced rolation tothe odge thereof and to ougago and grip the imdei sida ofthe rail head ait-:the

other side of th rail.

l0'. Aiail anohorjormed fioma siiigle baro-f metai bent to joian abody `portion .adaptod toengagea Cross;tiebutnotthe raii bag@ and and .arms of imequaliongh adapgold to eilgagothoa'ail hadaiid bas at onel Side .and (the ijai base Qaiiftboti'xer VSide `o1" the rail, Saidlbarfbemglait-oued and widened iooailyV to exondfthe veingageliieiii; of he longer ami with the head aiid base offth lrail. y

'11. A devceor preventing'the creeping o rails compiismg*means oxionding trallvergoiy Iundoibut out of contact-.with the rail base a Short armlconnectd with one @ad of said'means beaiinglupoii thvvedgooft'ho railbaso and a long fai-m oonneotod'myith. the,

oilieizqnd of said inean's bai'ing agaiiwttho upper surface. oi the i'ailfbaso. imvai'dly-from and not at 1h@ ,edge thereof and hearing upon theilmlm'gsiiiraco ofi-lie ifaiil'ead. 

